Equilibrium (2002)

In a fascist future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system.

Director:

Kurt Wimmer

Writer:

Kurt Wimmer

Stars:

Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Emily Watson

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christian Bale	...	John Preston
Dominic Purcell	...	Seamus
Sean Bean	...	Partridge
Christian Kahrmann	...	Officer in Charge
John Keogh	...	Chemist
Sean Pertwee	...	Father
William Fichtner	...	Jurgen
Angus Macfadyen	...	Dupont (as Angus MacFadyen)
David Barrash	...	Evidentiary Storage Officer
Dirk Martens	...	Gate Guard
Taye Diggs	...	Brandt
Matthew Harbour	...	Robbie Preston
Maria Pia Calzone	...	Preston's Wife
Emily Siewert	...	Lisa Preston
Emily Watson	...	Mary O'Brien

Storyline

In a futuristic world, a strict regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Cleric John Preston (Bale) is a top ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist the rules. When he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it.

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Plot Keywords:

dystopia | law | cleric | fascist | post apocalypse | 

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Taglines:

The only thing more powerful than the system, is the man that will overthrow it.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 December 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Librium

Filming Locations:

Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$541,512 (USA) (6 December 2002)

Gross:

$1,190,018 (USA) (20 December 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dimension Films, Blue Tulip Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The poem that Partridge reads in the church is "He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven" by William Butler Yeats, published in the collection "The Wind Among the Reeds" (1899). "Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."

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Goofs

In the opening action sequence, one of the Resistance members runs out the front double-doors of their hide-out. We cut to the Police, who open fire; when we cut back, the doors are closed.

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Quotes

[first lines]
DuPont: In the first years of the 21st century, a third World War broke out. Those of us who survived knew mankind could never survive a fourth; that our own volatile natures could simply no longer be risked. So we have created a new arm of the law: The Grammaton Cleric, whose sole task it is to seek out and eradicate the true source of man's inhumanity to man - his ability to feel.

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Connections

Referenced in Bad Movie Beatdown: Seven Pounds (2010)

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Soundtracks

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

Spectacular film - better than the well-known Matrix

This movie has a spectacular plot (post-apocalyptic world war III), and thus a fascist regime in which feelings, emotions, and so forth are abhorred. Taye Diggs does a great job as Brandt, who takes over as Preston's assistant. I would have liked to have seen more of Sean Bean, but his presence was known anyhow. Christian Bale does an excellent job playing Grammaton Cleric John Preston. The action scenes in this movie surpass those of the once hailed Matrix (1999). The plot builds throughout the film to a brilliant climax near the end. This movie is one of my favorite action movies of all time with both a good plot, stellar acting, and excellent cinematography. Easily a 10/10 or ****/****